The life of the ROUND is constituted by the dynamic process of COMING TO BE AND CEASING TO BE. Life and Death are alternating opposites; what has life pushes toward death so that new life can come to be. Death is therefore just the other side of life. Since life and death accompany and succeed each other, it is better not to worry about the matter. The TAOist does not dwell on either life or death, but transcends both to THE LIFE OF THE ONE. Cut off from the life of the ROUND and standing alone, an individual faces his opponents and arrives at the place and time of his death. However, in the ROUND, which is the eternal-life LIFE process, productive, and embracing all opposites, there is no death. There is only intense life-producing activity. A person who transcends his individuality, identifying himself with the eternal life process that has no place of death, also has no place of death. Such a person "on land meets no tigers or wild buffaloes, in battle needs to wear no armors or weapons."

In TAOism the symbol of eternity is the circle or the round in which the beginning is joined to the end; thus the MOTHER gives birth to the CHILD who returns and abides by the MOTHER.

The TAOist seems square but is really (REEL) WELL-ROUNDED. Thus he may appear to be on the edge, but is actually in his center. He is in the world (?) but not of it (O). (ie. Circle squared)

The Law of the Circle: Every Circle has a center. Similar Circles have similar centers.

G-ROUND: Being one with the ground the infant is unconscious of the division of opposites. In the round of a life, an individual spends three-tenths of his life going from birth to adult, three-tenths from adult to old age, three-tenths from old age to death. One-tenth of his life is not involved, is for centering, for transcending; TRANCE ENDING.

HAPPINESS FLOWS IN A CIRCULAR MOTION; LIFE IS JUST A TINY BOAT UPON THE SEA; EVERYBODY IS A PART OF EVERYTHING ANYWAY; YOU CAN BE AS HAPPY AS YOU LET YOURSELF BE.

The life of the natural world is seen to be no other than the life of the ROUND. Possessed of the mystical vision of the round, which encompasses all beings both in their coming out and their going back, the TAOist rises above the one-sidedness of individual consciousness to expand in ever-widening circles. To witness the cyclical movement of the natural world is to be one with the life of the TAO, is to become immortal and everlasting as TAO is immortal and everlasting. The Chinese have a WORD, HSe-CHI, the "POLE OF EMPTINESS", the DYNAMIC STILL POINT into which the TAOist has withdrawn to contemplate the life of the ROUND, the "SUPREME ULTIMATE", and the "POLE OF NON-BEING". The EMPTY and the QUIET is not the ultimate destiny of all beings, but that to which all beings return to be reinvigorated for reemergence into life.

WHAT COMES AROUND GOES AROUND. WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND.

The individual sheds individuality, which has a beginning and an end, to become one with the universal life process. This re-absorption into the universal life is the life or destiny of all beings. One who understands this secret, that the return is a return to the source and thereby a recovery of the immortal life in the creative ground, is ILLUMINED.

In the ROOT all is quiet, but an intense activity goes on all the time. From the absolute quietude of the STILL POINT all things issue forth. Issuing forth they grow silently and profusely. Knowledge of the everlasting has a redemptive effect. Lack of this knowledge causes us to commit wanton deeds. Any form of struggle, including moral warfare, is due to blindness to the complementary nature of opposites in the life of the ROUND. This blindness produces the sharp distinctions between the self and non-self. While knowledge of distinctions leads us to strife, knowledge of the ROUND, which embraces all beings, expands our capacity until we become as inclusive as heaven and TAO. Being inclusive means to be "ALL-CONTAINING". Then to be "PUBLIC", one who represents the interest of a large group. From this to "KING", who represents all the citizens of a state. From KING to HEAVEN which represents all nature. From HEAVEN to TAO, the UNIVERSAL CREATIVE POWER OF ALL. If HEAVEN and EARTH are long lasting, TAO is EVERLASTING. The CIRCLE is COMPLETE, i.e., from knowing the EVERLASTING to BECOMING THE EVERLASTING. A person who identifies with TAO is ONE with the life of TAO.

THE CENTER AND LEADERSHIP: The Harmoniousness of an association depends on the strength of the person at its center. The Western conception of this person is "LEADER"; but the Eastern conceptualization is "he at the center". Understanding this eastern image will help you readjust your relationship with the group. The true source of the cohesive force of your association is a strong center. It radiates a harmonious group. A weak center is surrounded by discord. Problems are brought immediately to the attention of the person at the center. Problems arising in the context of a discordant group are handled first by strengthening the center, then handled. Associate yourself with the true central force and devote yourself to strengthening it.

THE ROUND CYCLE OF BEINGS: When things are activated they emerge; emerging they are born; having been born they grow; growing they become big; being big they are completed; being complete they decline; declining they perish; having perished they become hidden, reabsorbed, returned back to the TAO.